Chelsea's winter slump enabled Watford to force a draw in the FA Cup third round two weeks ago. After picking up form, Chelsea could turn the rematch today into a one-sided embarrassment.

　　The Blues are one of five Premier League clubs forced into third-round FA Cup replays.

　　Watford needed a disputed goal to draw 2-2 with Chelsea on January 3 at Vicarage Road. Heidar Helguson's opening goal was a looping header which dropped in behind Chelsea 'keeper Neil Sullivan. A TV replay showed the ball struck the bar but failed to cross the line. Even so, referee Alan Wiley awarded the goal.

　　"Everyone is talking as if it is a formality for Chelsea but we still believe there is a twist to all this," Watford manager Ray Lewington said.

　　"I just hope we give ourselves justice on the night. I don't think we can afford to change our approach. In the back of your mind when you are playing the top three, you know if this lot click they can embarrass you."

　　The draw came in the middle of a winter slump for Chelsea - with only two wins in six matches. After a 0-1 loss to Liverpool last Wednesday, manager Claudio Ranieri made six changes for Saturday's match at Leicester.

　　The Blues won 4-0 - with the majority of the lineup at Stamford Bridge before Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club and added more than 110 million pounds (US$203.50 million) worth of new players.

　　Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who scored two goals, and Eidur Gudjohnsen were up front with the old defensive pairing of Mario Melchiot and Celestine Babayaro the fullbacks.

　　"We have to believe in ourselves and believe we can win every match," Hasselbaink said. "If we do that we will cause problems for other teams."

　　Now Ranieri must decide whether Hernan Crespo, Adrian Mutu, Wayne Bridge and Geremi start today.

　　"A team is like a child," Ranieri said. "When a child makes a mistake and you put him under pressure, he cannot grow up with confidence. I prefer it when everyone is against me."

　　If Chelsea progresses, it's guaranteed an easy fourth-round match. It's opponent will be the winner of another replay between semiprofessional Conference club Scarborough and struggling third division Southend.

　　Also today, Leicester hosts Manchester City. Both clubs lost by four goal margins in league play at the weekend - Leicester in a 4-0 loss to Chelsea and City a 4-2 defeat at Portsmouth.

　　Manchester City hasn't won in 14 matches, but Paul Power, who captained the last City side to play in a FA Cup final in 1981, thinks a win over Leicester could turn the season around.

　　"A good cup run would be amazing," said Power, now assistant coach at City's Academy. "City could win the next three games, including the Leicester replay, and all of a sudden there would be a positive atmosphere in the camp."

　　Should City advance, it will meet Tottenham, the club it lost to in the 1981 Cup final replay.

　　Leicester is just as keen to erase its weekend defeat.

　　"The Chelsea game was disappointing, but obviously we have a game against Manchester City in the FA Cup that maybe takes our minds off the league a little," Leicester's Steve Howey said.

　　"There is no getting away from the fact that the league is the most important thing for us this season, but if we can come out and win against Manchester City then that breeds confidence ahead of our game against Middlesbrough. We want to go into that fixture on a high."

　　Third division Northampton and first division Rotherham were to play late yesterday for the right to host Manchester United in the fourth round. In two all-first division ties, the winner of Preston vs Reading will play second division Swansea and Wimbledon and Stoke play for the opportunity to play Birmingham.